Decades later Michigan's PBB disaster still isn't over

Lynn Hahn clearly remembers the day in 1974 when it was determined that PBB had been inadvertently mixed into the animal feed and the worst agricultural disaster in the nationís history was well underway.

It was a Friday.

Contamination had been suspected at farms throughout the state as cows got sick and died, but months went by before any public agency took action.

On that Friday however, Hahn learned that it was confirmed.

Hahn, now 82 and living in Whitehall, was the lab manager for Michigan Chemical in St. Louis, which manufactured animal feed supplements as well as PBB used as a fire retardant.

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ďThe vice president was in Chicago,Ē he said. ďHe called and said heíd be back in St. Louis tomorrow - Saturday. And we all met on Saturday.Ē

Hahn took notes of the meeting, which proved a help and a ďsignificant documentĒ when he took the stand in a suit against Michigan Chemical and Farm Bureau, which had mixed the PBB into the feed.

The suit was filed by a southern Michigan farmer, Rick Halbert, one of the earliest victims of the disaster and one who began a serious push to find the cause for his cattle herdís problems.

Intimately involved in the development and production of PBB, Hahn testified for three and one half days on behalf of the company he worked for.

ďIt was a scary position,Ē he said.

Halbert lost the suit. The negligence he claimed by the chemical company and Farm Bureau wasnít proven.

But following that Saturday meeting, Hahn said he was tasked in finding what else PBB might have contaminated.

The answer he found in the lab was, ďeverything.Ē

The lab was located about 100 yards from the plant, he said, and tests proved that if the levels were low enough, everything had some PBB on it.

He also went outside the buildings and found PBB in the soil, and particularly on the west side. It was then he realized that PBB, a fine powder, was airborne.

They were breathing it, he said..

Even salt samples purchased in Lansing still tested positive for PBB at the chemical companyís lab.

He knew he had to get out of the lab and the graduate of Alma College contacted the school. Could Michigan Chemical use one of the schoolís labs? It could and PBB testing took place there.

Once in the new lab, the PBB ďbackgroundĒ disappeared, Hahn said..

The lab at Michigan Chemical conducted business as usual, but the PBB testing took place for about a year on the college campus.

Hahn provided some background of the times, when very little was known about PBB and other chemicals.

Childrenís flammable pajamas were very much on the mind of the government, as were other flammable items.

Companies were looking for ways to make products that werenít going to ignite..

After lots of tests, PBB looked better and better for use as a fire retardant, Hahn said.

But very little was known about it. According to documents at the St. Louis Library, which houses material related to the chemical company and the Superfund sites, PBBt was first made for commercial use in 1970.

The use of PBB was eventually and severely restricted, but that came later.

Farmers and chemical workers were tested and Hahn said his tests showed low levels of PBB in his blood.

Tests were discontinued in the state and few follow ups were conducted until Emory University stepped in with its first test in St. Louis in December.

Hahn was there to get his blood tested. His individual results and an overall look at those tested are expected in a few months

Knowledge about the possible harmful effects of PBB is still limited, but the chemical has been linked to breast cancer, malformations and thyroid problems to name a few.

Emoryís study will help expand the knowledge.

The team from Emory University will be back in Michigan from March 7 to the 16th. This time, theyíll be in Ithaca at the Mid Michigan District Health Department conducting more blood tests and more extensive exams with those who had their blood tested in December. They are particularly interested in seeing people between the ages of 18 to 57.

Community discussions will take place on March 8 and 9 and the blood draws will occur from March 7 through the 16th.

About the Author

Linda Gittleman’s alma mater is Western Michigan University where she majored in speech and English and her hometown is Alma. She’s worked at the Morning Sun's Alma office for more than 20 years. Reach the author at lgittleman@michigannewspapers.com
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